DC Families Review: The Dark

A few things to get out of the way. First off, for those who don’t know, DC has broken their books up into separate families. And over the course of the next few weeks I, James, plan on doing quick reviews of each family and their books, how their stories are going, what I hope to see, that type of things. I am also hoping to get Dan and Garrett to do this as well and get their opinions on their favorite/least favorite families. So let’s kick this off with my favorite, THE DARK.

For any regulars out there you may have heard that my picks of the week aren’t books we talk about on the show, for some, I’m the only one reading them, others, well, just isn’t brought up for time’s sake. But I am a huge fan of THE DARK.  A quick rundown of the books: Swamp Thing, Animal Man, Justice League Dark, Demon Knights, I Vampire, Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E., and Demon Knights. (Recent addiction Dial H, though we won’t cover that for the moment.)

Swamp Thing

As a new comer I have not read Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing. I haven’t read any of his vertigo, pre-vertigo, any of it. My first exposure was the very end of Brightest Day. So you can imagine how I felt going into this book, with a shudder and a groan. Aaaand well I was less than impressed with the first issue. It’s kind of dull, lifeless, and it felt like I walked into the middle of a story. It picks up though, with Alec Holland going off across the country to find the source of THE ROT (villain for both Swamp Thing and Animal Man). It is about his journey into accepting The Green, and becoming Swamp Thing once more.

 

Animal Man

My personal favorite book of the entire launch. I love this series. I can’t praise it enough. It’s incredibly grounded in Buddy Baker’s family, and it brings them along for the ride, they are main characters, not just side characters for Buddy to play off of every few issues. Because of this book, I got all three trades of Grant Morrison’s Animal Man, and fell in love with this character. Because of those and Action Comics, I may come close to forgiving Morrison for Final Crisis soon. So Buddy is trying to protect his daughter from The Red, and stop the ever expanding Black (The Rot).

Justice League Dark

Ohhh boy, you are in for a long ride here. The first arc is a toughy. It’s painful in a lot of ways. But if you get past the weird structuring, and enjoy the characters (I love Deadman) it’s a decent book that picks up great with it’s crossover with I, Vampire. Basically this book is a Justice League Team meant to bring together the Magic users of the DCU. Pretty much it. And it looks like they’re starting to dive into the Rot. (See, other baddies besides Demonnites.)

Demon Knights

Speaking of that abomination of a villain Demonnites. (can you tell what my opinion of them are) This is the only book that even comes close to being related to them, as in, the group get’s their name from the Shining Knight, who doesn’t understand when Merlin says demonnites, and she thinks Demon Knights. That and Etrigan the Demon is a major part of their group. This is a very fun book that captures a fantasy setting perfectly, and grants the feel of a D&D game done right. Between Madam Xanadu’s constant lying, Vandal Savage and his barbarism, Shining Knight in his/her zealotry, and a cast of several others, you are constantly entertained.

I, Vampire

Let’s hear it for DC cashing in on Twilight! No cheers? What’s wrong with you. These are Vampires done far better than sparkling stalkers. It’s what we want, a dark brooding book that shows that the DCU is in trouble from within with these creatures running around. Even our Dues Ex Machina on legs (Batman) can’t stop them. 

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.

I’m not sure what I can say about this book. It’s interesting, but I feel like I’m missing so much of a back story that hasn’t been established. They haven’t talked about who/what Father Time is, and except for a throw away reference, why he is in the form of a tiny Japanese school girl with a domino mask. The creature Commandos are perfect, I love them. But so much more I want to see, and hopefully will see once (like so many other books), Frankenstein goes into the Rot.

Resurrection Man

Unlike every book here, Resurrection Man has pulled off a true resurrection. Mitch Shelly had his own series in the early nineties; it went on for a few years and was cancelled. And never heard from again. All the other characters featured in the Dark have shown up in one form or another pretty consistently, but not Mitch Shelly. His power set is pretty simple. He dies. He comes back. He has new awesome power. He dies again, he gets new power. An ever rotating, way of neat ways to kill a character and bring him back. Why was this man not given a one shot during Blackest Night. It could have been so cool. But this story is about Mitch Shelly traveling around looking for answers about himself and why people want him dead…permanently.